The Jugaad

This is a discussion on The Jugaad within Commercial Vehicles, part of the BHP India category; Hey SS, TFS.
Down south in TN Chennai there is a similar contraption to "Chhakda" simply called "Meen Body Vandi" ...

Down south in TN Chennai there is a similar contraption to "Chhakda" simply called "Meen Body Vandi" (translated to Fish cart) Its used to haul anything and everything including fish/chicken and other vegetables from the central markets to suburbs.

These are modified 3 wheelers with bullet/java/yezdi/rajdoot engines attached and run mostly on kerosene. These run freely on all main roads of Chennai without any cops stopping them, since each cart owner/driver pays regular "Mamool" or "hafta" to police.

Woaah never knew such contraptions existed in India and could be driven around doing chores without a valid registration. Thanks for putting up a thread here ss-t.

These were called the Tempo Hanseat from Bajaj and were very much legal. Atleast I remember these in bangalore with valid registration plates, unlike what is posted by SS-T.
A relative of mine had two of these hanseats back home in Kerala and I remember the ruckus they would create when started.

Yes agreed they made huge ruckus, but in seventies they had original petrol/2t oil engines. In fact these petrol/oil engines had a very sweet soothing sound from it's short exhaust, this exhaust used to turn along with the entire engine and front wheel when the steering was turned.The engine used to start very fast with just a touch of a circular Black starter push button.

I think, the so called share autos plying in chennai should come under the classification of these Jugads. They have no specific dimensions or anything. Also these jugads have a field day since none can question them and they are all over the road, stopping where they like.

Hi,
Rural Bengal teems with the 3 wheel variety. Chinese diesel engine. No front brakes. Band brakes at the rear.
Last week, one of these drew first blood on my SUV. Their secret of stopping is to swerve enough so that the narrow front part avoids the obstacle. The load bed hits the obstacle, and stops!

Do the 4 wheel juggads have front brakes?

Here the Rajkot made 'Listers' have disappeared, replaced by Chinese engines. So surprised that the 'Listers' are still being used in N. India.

Oh My God ! Was an eye opener to say the least.
But the illegality of operating such a vehicle quite so openly is quite shocking. What are the traffic cops for?

There ARE no traffic cops in rural and semi-urban UP/Haryana etc. Till some time ago, even Gurgaon did not have a traffic police force. Plus, the cops' job is to protect the vote bank, not put them in jail!

Woaah never knew such contraptions existed in India and could be driven around doing chores without a valid registration. Thanks for putting up a thread here ss-t.

Remember, one's proof of local residence (as evident from the dialect one speaks) is good enough to waive off any fines / legal action. If you or I were to drive this thing on the highway, we would stand out like a sore thumb, and the cops would be more than happy to lighten our wallets.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcat

Is that a steering wheel shaft or a spear waiting to impale the driver in a head-on collision?
Jugaad is apparently the most preferred dowry item in those areas.

LOL - people want a spear as dowry? Not really - demand for dowry includes the more conventional goods carriers and of course, motorcycles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suess

Excellent article SS! Should go to some auto magazine or newspaper.
Has anyone noticed that front grill!? Gives a new definition to Aero-dynamic.

Thanks. Just dynamic would be good enough!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kamboj

Very nice effort on documenting Jugaad.
Few might know that in Punjab it is also called Maruta (male version of Maruti)
I have honour of travelling in Jugaad once . Ride is like travelling in a tractor-trolly, rather better than that due leafspring based (or whatever it is) suspension. In Punjab and Haryana many smaller private schools use these to ferry children.

Thanks for the feedback on ride quality! Never got to ride one myself. Indeed, these started being called Maruta in Punjab from the late 1980s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by akshay4587

It is also known as Maruta
Also another form is sugarcane Juice cart,the engine drives the cart,and helps in extracting sugarcane juice as well.

Don't recall seeing the motorized sugarcane cart.

Quote:

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Excellent thread Dada. I've seen a lot of these vehicles in Northern India and Gujarat..., and wondered what makes these contraptions roll. Just came to know the "technology" that goes behind these masterpieces.
...with all due respect, the Tempo was an engineering marvel compared to the Jugaad!

Thank you, PW. I agree - Hanseats were quite well engineered, though not quite doing the duty they were originally designed to do.

Quote:

Originally Posted by arunu

Hey SS, TFS.

What's TFS?

Quote:

Originally Posted by arunu

Down south in TN Chennai there is a similar contraption...called "Meen Body Vandi"...
These are modified 3 wheelers with bullet/java/yezdi/rajdoot engines attached and run mostly on kerosene.

I thought the Meen Body Vandi referred to even the non-motorized 3-wheelers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mpower

Great info for people from the South who have not visited the rural North.
Is there one company that manufactures this or is it all done by local mechanics. Is there any kind of parts/design commonization/standard?

Parts standardization - yes, to an extent. The engines across various manufacturers have a common parts bin of things like pistons, valves, crank shafts, injectors etc. Brakes, bearings etc. are of a limited number of designs. The economies of scale apply due to the common parts bin, though each fabricator might operate out of a 200 square yard shed.

Just so that we stop singing praise of Jugaad (no not the vehicle, but the so called frugal engineering concept) - I think until India and Indians change some of the mindset - there is not much chance to emerge as power house!

I can't understand from where have so many people crowded the streets in this part in the recent 3-4 years, the buses/trains all full capacity, always.

Migrants going back to a brave & safe new Bihar under Nitish Kumar. Visible change in demographics in the sugarcane fields of UP, where migrant labour from Bihar was aplenty till a year or two ago, very few available this year for the big farmers to hire. Borrowed UP's Jugaad tech and took it back to Bihar I suppose!

Now that it has become management talk on frugal engineering and Innovation, everyone is writing and talking about it. Two years ago when this was new thing to talk about in management and leadership training programs only few blogs/articles existed. Tried googling, but could only find one, the other one seems to be lost somewhere (Will try again or dig through emails for get the link) in the meantime here is the one that i found.

Waking up from bed on a fine morning in my hotel at Mandarmani, a sea side village in East Midnapore district of West Bengal, I could not find my daughter. My wife informed me that she had walked towards the beach in front our hotel just a while ago. When I found her, she was watching this with great interest:-
I think that although she had seen these earlier, she could not see them very closely enough. The next moment she returned back running, requesting us to accompany her for an hour long ride in it, in exchange of Rs 200/-.
But it may be mentioned here that these vehicles are very helpful to move on the beaches, as they are lightweight and do not get stranded easily on the beach, unlike the heavier motor cars and SUVs. Also with the engines fitted high, they may move more freely during rising waters at times of high tide.

Last edited by rahul4640 : 10th March 2012 at 11:43.
Reason: Spelling check

Awesome Thread SS Traveller. A number of Jugaad thread was around here, but none offered this much insight. Thanks and appreciations for the research.
The Great Indian Jugaad (as a concept, not as this vehicle) has been a matter of fascination to many a management guru and practitioner. We are indeed a race with imagination and unbelievable capacity for make-do. This thread throws light upon that fact and shows the make believe generation that indigenous is beyond indica.